Jun 02, 2016 20:00:00

The `` Gotthard Base Tunnel '' with a total length of 57 km penetrating the Alps is finally opened, beyond the Seikan Tunnel and a new world record

On June 1, 2016, the

Gotthard Base Tunnel in southern Switzerland was officially opened. This tunnel, which runs through the Alps, is about 2,000 meters from the summit of the Alps at its deepest point, making it the world's longest tunnel at 57.1 km, surpassing the record of 53.9 km held by the Seikan Tunnel in Japan.

Gotthard tunnel: World's longest and deepest rail tunnel opens in Switzerland - BBC News
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-36423250

The Gotthard Base Tunnel, which connects Erstfeld and Bodio in southern Switzerland, took 17 years and 2,600 workers to build. As shown in the figure below, the tunnel is designed to minimize height differences as much as possible, and is also run 600 meters lower than the existing railroad route. This eliminates the need to go through steep mountainous areas, making it possible to achieve higher speeds.

As you can see from the map, the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which connects two points in an almost straight line, has great expectations as a cornerstone of railway transportation. The steep mountains of the Alps have long stood in the way of logistics in central Europe.

The distance of 57.1 km overtook Japan's Seikan Tunnel and newly established the world's first place. The 'Eurotunnel' connecting France and England, which was the longest in Europe until then, is the third longest in the world.

On the occasion of the official opening on June 1, an opening ceremony is being held inviting the leaders of various European countries. Prayer by the priest is done ......

From the left, Italian Prime Minister Renzi, President Ammann of Switzerland, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and President Hollande of France are boarding the train.

Due to the opening of the tunnel, the railway connecting Zurich, Switzerland and Milan, Italy will be shortened by one hour from about 3 hours 40 minutes to about 2 hours 40 minutes. By making the tunnel flat and with few curves, the train running in the tunnel can run at a speed of 250 km / h, and it will pass through the total length of 57.1 km in about 20 minutes. As a result, there are even voices saying that the Alps are no longer a difficult place for transportation.

When information about the Gotthard base tunnel is made into an infographic, it looks like this. It took 17 years to construct the tunnel, and the total construction cost reached 12 billion dollars (about 1.32 trillion yen). This is funded by a national level budget as the Swiss federal project '

Alp Transit Plan '. The length of the excavator is 400 meters, and the amount of concrete used is 4 million cubic meters, equivalent to 84 Empire State Buildings. This tunnel is expected to play a major role in logistics, as it will be possible to transport cargo equivalent to 377,000 tons and 15,080 containers per day.

This is a statue of

Saint Barbara who protects people working in hazardous areas. Nine workers were killed during the construction period.

In addition to the Gotthard Route, which runs through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, another route, the Letschberg Route, is already under construction. With the opening of the Lötschberg Route, which connects France, and the Gotthard Route, which connects Germany, a large railway artery has passed through Central Europe.

By Cooper.ch

The Gotthard Base Tunnel is also explained in detail on the following sites.

World's longest Gotthard base tunnel to be completed in 18 months - SWI swissinfo.ch